| How do you choose the best place to pursue | | | | offering from the Lone Star State. |
| higher education? Is it a university's | | | | |
| prestige? Is it the ratio of faculty to | | | | 3. University Of Texas at Dallas |
| students? Is it the quality of a certain | | | | |
| department? For a growing number of students, | | | | Tuition is the same as the other public Texas |
| these considerations are not the primary | | | | universities, but cost of living in Dallas |
| ones. With the cost of education | | | | bumps the UT campus there to third place on |
| skyrocketing, the choice has to become | | | | this list. |
| simpler: Where can I afford to attend? This | | | | |
| list of the top 10 most economical schools is | | | | 4. University of Utah |
| here to help. | | | | |
| | | | The University of Utah pulls students in from |
| Tuition for a year of undergraduate education | | | | out of state with extremely low tuition and a |
| varies wildly. At the top reaches, people are | | | | reputation for high quality learning. |
| spending $30,000 for the privilege of getting | | | | |
| educated alongside the privileged. Are the | | | | 5. State University of New York at Buffalo |
| classes worth the expense? Are the professors | | | | |
| really so brilliant? Perhaps not. At many of | | | | SUNY-Buffalo charges around $9,500 for two |
| the most competitive and expensive | | | | semesters and offers good financial aid |
| universities, students barely encounter their | | | | packages and fellowships to PhD candidates. |
| famous professors, instead finding themselves | | | | With the money you save going to |
| taught by teaching assistants---graduate | | | | SUNY-Buffalo, you can buy extra layers of |
| students not much older or more experienced | | | | clothing to make it through chilly Buffalo |
| than themselves. | | | | winters. |
| | | | |
| For a fraction of the cost, it is possible to | | | | 6. University of North Carolina at Charlotte |
| acquire an education that is just as good, if | | | | |
| not sometimes better, than that offered at | | | | Finally, the University of North Carolina at |
| the most pricey institutions of higher | | | | Charlotte provides an enthusiastic student |
| learning. The cliché about school is that | | | | body a great education at an equally great |
| "you get out what you put into it." This does | | | | price, hovering near the $10,000 mark. |
| not refer to dollars "put in." The CEO's | | | | |
| silver spoon son may fritter away a $30,000 | | | | 7. New Jersey Institute of Technology |
| year in a drunken stupor, skipping classes, | | | | |
| and buying term papers off the Internet. | | | | The seventh entry on this list breaks the |
| Dedicated students, paying far less, will | | | | 10,000 mark---coming in at about 12,000 per |
| find themselves, in the end, with a diploma | | | | year. Cost of living in New Jersey has also |
| that means much more. Elbow grease and hours | | | | to be considered for applicants to NJIT. |
| hitting the books are the stuff of a real | | | | |
| education. | | | | 8. Arizona State University |
| | | | |
| Here, then, is a list of some of the most | | | | Sun-drenched ASU students have a reputation |
| affordable schools in the nation. The prices | | | | for studying hard and playing hard. They pay |
| mentioned require residency. For those who do | | | | around 12,000 in annual tuition. |
| not live in Texas, for example (the state | | | | |
| with the top three most affordable schools), | | | | 9. University of Arizona |
| extra time may be required living in state to | | | | |
| establish residency. In the long run, this | | | | Paying approximately same as their ASU |
| extra time may be well worth the effort. | | | | siblings, University of Arizona students can |
| | | | take advantage of financial aid after |
| 1. Texas A&M University | | | | completing a semester. |
| | | | |
| Still under 10,000 a year, Texas A&M is one | | | | 10. Illinois Institute of Technology |
| of the best schools in the Southwest. Texas | | | | |
| A&M is a great school for a great price. | | | | Also around 12,000 per year, the Illinois |
| | | | Institute of Technology has limited financial |
| 2. University of Texas at Arlington | | | | aid packages, but offers a top quality |
| | | | education. In a state with many great |
| Also under 10,000, the Arlington branch of | | | | universities, the Illinois Institute of |
| the University of Texas is another great | | | | Technology holds its own. |